Brandy Alexander

From his now-famous "Classics Collection," Joe presented me with the Brandy Alexander, a stark, ghost-white cocktail that looks as innocent as milk, and tastes like a chocolate Fribble.

The Recipe:

While chilling a large martini glass, into a cocktail mixing cup full of ice, add:

- a 3 count of brandy, (a "V.S." should suffice. No need for a V.S.O.P or an X.O., as the other ingredients will make the difference negligible.)

- a 2 count créme de cacao

- a generous sploosh of heavy cream

- Shake a lot!

- Strain into the now-chilled martini glass

- Grate some fresh nutmeg over the top, (not too much!)

Chris's Notes: The Brandy Alexander was a favorite drink of John Lennon's during his eighteen-month long "Lost Weekend," (seen here enjoying a table full of them with Peter Lawford, then-girlfriend May Pang, and Harry Nilsson.) The ex-Beatle jokingly referring to the drink as a "Milkshake."

This metaphor should come as no surprise, as the Brandy Alexander is deceptively smooth, sweet, and chocolaty! As mine arrived, the first thing I noticed was the stark white color. As seemingly pure as the driven snow! (Hardly!) And therein lies its deceptive nature!

But fortunately, the Brandy Alexander is so rich and so heavy, that like any desert, drinking too many would not be any easy task, as these babies would fill you right up!

Senior Research Partner, Kerry, (who appropriated the rest of my drink!) admits that although this may not be a warm-weather cocktail, it would have been perfect to pass the time during her recent "Flood Day" - being house-bound due to a recent flash flood here in the Northeast.

Might have at least picked up the spirits!

Joe's Notes: The Brandy Alexander is a fine example of a classic cocktail. It is a variation on The Alexander cocktail. The Brandy Alexander substitutes brandy for the original ingredient of gin. There are many theories on the name but my favorite is the following.

Rector’s (a famous New York eatery before Prohibition) was having a dinner celebrating “Phoebe Snow ,” the fictional advertising character who traveled the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, always in her white dress.

Rector’s bartender, Troy Alexander, came up with a new, white drink for the occasion—gin, crème de cacao and sweet cream, and the cocktail took the name of it's inventor. The earliest known citation of the Alexander was in 1915.

This, as you can see, forces me to comment on an issue that I have avoided like the black plague: "The great martini debate."

Okay, before we get our knickers in a twist, let us pour ourselves a stiff drink, (preferably one from T.G.D.I.T.W.T.W. )

Fact one: A martini is only made with gin. A vodka martini is made with vodka.

Fact two: An Alexander is made with gin. A brandy Alexander is made with Brandy.

Simple really.

Stir it, (my preference), shake it, or agitate it in some fashion that mingles its ingredients, I don't really care at this point. Let us leave that discussion of another day.

What I do care about is the snobbery associated with the Martini. I have heard too many bartenders dismiss drinks presented in a martini glass as not really a martini. Well, we know that, but as long as the word martini is prefixed with another as in vodka, apple, chocolate, cucumber, or Vesper, I believe it is acceptable.

The martini has transformed, it has changed from its original concept, into a style of drink.

Now I know a lot of you, at this point, probably want to take to the streets with flaming torches and pitchforks and banish me as a complete heretic. But before you rally the good people of the village, hear me out.

Let us take as our example, the car.

Although both Leonardo Di Vinci's and Robert Anderson's notion of what constitutes a "car" has since dramatically been changed and improved upon, (let us, at this juncture, ignore the whole Toyota thing,) the basic concept has stayed the same. That is to say it is a passenger-carrying automotive vehicle. Yet we do not call an airplane a flying car or call a boat a water car. So at what point do we change the name? They are still both passenger-carrying automotive vehicles. Does the word car imply that it travels on the ground and must have a minimum of three wheels?

Let us get back to the Martini. The Vodka (ingredient) Martini (style of drink) tells both the bartender and the customer what the drink is, (just like the word “car.”) Should our snobbery surrounding martinis force us to change these now hundreds of martini drinks names just to please a few?

Or are you with the group that believe that the whole naming drinks “Martinis” is just yet another example of our society's decline in both its moral standards and etiquette?

Either way I would be very interested to hear back from our readers, as I have said this is a discussion and not a lecture, (I am not some sort of crazed megalomaniac.) And who knows? You may be able to change my opinion.

Good luck with that!

Joe

The New-Fangled

Dipping back into the realm of the "classics", Joe pulls out an Old Fashioned recipe and dares to tweak it. Of course, purists would decry any changes to an Old Fashioned as "not an Old Fashioned!" So, we here at The Greatest Drink in the World... This Week respectfully defer, and cheekily naming this variation, The New Fangled.

The Recipe:

Muddle together in the glass:

- a slice of orange, a maraschino cherry, 3 dashes of Angostura Bitters, and 1/2 a packet of sugar,

- add ice,

- add a 3 count of Jack Daniel’s,

- add a 2 count of cherry brandy,

- Top with soda,

- Stir,

- Garnish with a slice of orange and/or a maraschino cherry.

Original Recipe by Joe the Bartender, Passage to India Restaurant, Salem, MA

Joe's Notes: As you can see I have changed the classic Old Fashioned cocktail to the New Fangled. The functional word being changed, i.e .altered. I have not invented or even reinvented, (is this even possible? How can anyone invent something that has already been invented?) Anyway, I digress. The point being that although the ingredients may have changed, the overall experience of the drink has stayed the same. The Old Fashioned has always been one of the few drinks that not only stimulates the taste buds but is also an auditory and tactile experience.

What, you may be asking yourself, am I talking about? Let me explain.

When you order either the Old Fashioned or the New Fangled from your bartender, ask him not to muddle the ingredients too much. The drink should be served with a small spoon. This allows you to dissolve the sugar to the perfect sweetness. Stirring the ice around the glass will give you the desired watering-down of the drink. Use the back of the spoon to squeeze out how much of the orange flavor you prefer.

Stirring the drink with a metal spoon will produce that wonderful clinking sound allowing your thoughts to fade into oblivion or stimulate your mind to the brink of genius.

Chris's Notes: As you can probably see from the photo, I got to enjoy this drink with a full meal of fine Indian cuisine, so my senses were pretty much satisfied. I approached this drink with a single-sense agenda; Taste! (Not to mention, when surrounded by my fellow "enthusiasts," the brink of genius is a parcel of real estate not frequently explored!)

Regardless, (or "irregardless," if you're one of THOSE people!) with flavor as my primary criteria, I zealously seconded this as this week's "Greatest Drink." The Jack Daniel's is a very strong flavored whiskey, true, but Joe's inclusion of cherry brandy added a sweetness that truly complimented it. A caveat; my fellow researches this evening, Cheryl and Johanna, found the drink to be a little on the strong side for their tastes, (whereas it scratched me right where I itched.) So make certain that yours comes with it's spoon to temper the tastes to your specific liking!

Joe's Soap Box; (A.K.A. Additional Bar Chatter.)

Change can come in many forms: good, bad or indifferent. Unfortunately, I see change happening in the service industry that I am not entirely pleased with. For example, During this past week, I went into one of these new trendy sandwich shops springing up all over town. The young lady behind the counter had obviously got her days mixed up and had dressed for an audition in the Rocky Horror Picture Show. The addition of a hair net and transparent plastic gloves only added to the absurdity of the overall look. Patiently waiting my turn to be served, I looked up at the near hieroglyphic scribblings on the menu board. I had no idea what most of the offerings were.

(I still don't know what “khmeli suneli crusted chicken” is, or even if it is legal.) During my wait, I did manage to count fourteen different types of breads, as well as various flavored wraps, soup in bread bowls and the ever present oxymoron, no carb sandwich roll.

When it was my turn at the counter I asked for a BLT on wheat. this is the conversation that followed.

Sever: " Sorry, no tomato"

Me: "You must have a tomato somewhere, this is a sandwich shop."

"Sorry, no tomato."

"Cucumber then, I'll have bacon, lettuce and cucumber."

"No cucumber."

"Yes, you have. I can see some over there."

"That's pickled cucumber infused with mustard seed and fenugreek. Would you like that in your sandwich?"

"Good God, no! Just some mayo then."

"We have a homemade mayonnaise with a hint of rosemary, or garlic and dill infused mayonnaise. Which one would you like?"

"Neither really, just regular mayo."

“Sir," (letting out a heavy sigh,) “your choices are homemade mayonnaise with..."

"You know what, I think I would like to change my order. Are you sure you don't have any tomato?”

No response, just a glacial stare.

The line behind me continues to text, tweet, and Twitter at a furious speed, looking up from time to time to monitor my progress. At this point I am tempted to order a PB&J on Wonder-bread, but I think this may send the poor girl into a murderous frenzy, so instead I say " I'll have the tilapia, papaya and roasted walnut on a sun-dried tomato and basil low-carb wrap"

This she can do!

Leaving the sandwich shop I surreptitiously dump my obscene purchase in the trash barrel outside and head into the establishment next door. I am pleased to see that their menu doesn't have the words "A hint of" or "infused with" and their soup comes in ceramic bowls. I order a slice of pizza and a coke.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for the introduction of new and adventurous items on the menu. But somewhere along the way, many have lost sight of the fact that we are here to serve the public. Lets give them what they want, and please lose the attitude, (and the nose ring.)

Cheers, Joe

(Vaguely related token video: 'Changes.' )

The East Side Press

During a recent "staff meeting," it was noticed that our running poll, (those blue bars mid-way down the left side of the blog; Little more... There it is!) reflected a popularity in Brandy! In fact, Brandy ranked in second place, tied with vodka! And yet, The Greatest Drink In The World... This Week has no brandy drinks in its repertoire! This must be rectified!

Here then, now, to remedy this injustice is this weeks Greatest Drink: The East Side Press.

The Recipe:

While chilling a large martini glass, into a cocktail shaker full of ice, add:

- The juice of 1/4 of a large lemon,

- a 3 count of Cognac,

- a 2 count of Canton Ginger Liqueur,

- a teaspoon of brown sugar,

- a teaspoon of egg white,

- 4 drops of Angostura Bitters,

- Shake fervently!

- Strain into the now-chilled martini glass,

- Garnish with a large slice of fresh, juicy, orange.

Bartenders Notes: In searching for the perfect brandy-based cocktail for this week’s “Greatest Drink,” I was reminded of a regular patron from not too long ago.

It was every Friday evening, one of my favorite costumers would come into the bar; we’ll just call her, “Diva.” She’d arrive clad in faux-leopard skin or some other equally flamboyant attire, sparkling with diamonds and dripping with gold, and perch herself at her regularly reserved bar stool.

"Something delicious, Joey," she’d say, with a flirtatious little smirk and a little wave of her fingers. She’d voice nothing in particular as to what the ingredients she wanted, but always preferred a drink that's color matched her chosen outfit of the evening.

I had a special repertoire of drinks put aside just for her visits and it was from this selection that I first presented her with the East Side Press by Xavier Herit. With its rich ingredients of cognac and Canton, I felt that it would be a suitable cocktail to present to Miss Diva.

I recall the first time her well-manicured hands raised the glass to her lips and the response she gave after tasting it: “Oooh, Joey!”

Even the strongest man’s knees would have quivered.

The schoolboy smile of pride was still warm on my face as the first of a chorus of "I'll have one of those, please," came from her envious and/or curious co-patrons.

Diva never did ask for the East Side Press by name, but, (and maybe this is just my imagination, but,) she did seem to be dressed more frequently in colors that matched it.

Chris' Notes: Upon first tasting, one notices that this is a strong cocktail, (in fact, research partner this week, my wife, Cheryl, felt it a little too strong for her less-seasoned palette.)

Yes, this drink is very strong, but also very sweet, (Hey! Just like me!) In fact, the strength and the sweetness of this cocktail are in such well-balanced proportion that they seem to meet, like destiny-bound lovers in a special place; a placed talked of only in fairy tales and legends...

I'm sorry. I digress.

As I was saying, the warmth of the brandy mixes really nicely with the sweet ginger and brown sugar, (and don't underestimate the influence of that slice of orange, either!) and the result is a great, delicately complex, and uncommon dessert/after dinner cocktail.

Enjoy & Cheers, Chris

Domaine de Canton Home Page